


That time snowboarding

by Krash39



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 03:42:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18984538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krash39/pseuds/Krash39
Summary: "I broke my arm. I broke my arm snowboarding once" - Alex Gaskarth Rocksound Interview





	That time snowboarding

  
When Jack was young he used to sit next to his brother on the couch mesmerized by the X-games. The tricks, the music, the alternative-ness of it all. He'd especially loved watching the snowboarders and their crazy helmets sailing down mountains.  
Now; however, leaning over the edge of an endless slope, he found himself wishing he were pretty much anywhere else in the world. The cold chapped his skin. The cascading landscape of white was blinding despite his sunglasses. And the dropping feeling his stomach went through going down, even the smallest of hills, left him exhausted from anxious tension. It very quickly became less about athleticism than an exercise in mental endurance.

His best friend, on the other hand, lit up when he snapped a giant fiberglass toothpick to his boots. Alex, it seemed, could never go fast enough, or launch high enough off the moguls on the course. Initially it made Jack nervous watching him take off, and he had protested repeatedly, but then Alex had met him with The Grin. That genuine, ear to ear one he only wore for things there was no hope of changing his mind about. So Jack did his best to ignore the growing pit in his stomach, and tried to have some fun.

"One last run and call it a day?" Alex called up from a seat full of snow. Jack watched him pull at a lace in his boot. "Since the LOGICAL method of getting off this fucking mountain is apparently laughable." Jack trailed off feigning insult.  
Alex laughed. "I can't believe you asked if you could ride the chair down."  
"It's perfectly reasonable-." Jack broke off mid sentence unable to stifle a grin. Alex stood. "Thanks for doing this, sorry you don't like it as much." Jack shrugged. "At least I can say I tried it. And besides now I never have to do this again."

Alex smiled in return and looked pensively at the ground. Jack cocked his head looking to catch his friend's eye. "S'up?" He prompted.  
"I-uh, I asked, Lisa." Jack lit up. "Seriously??!!! I mean, random, much? But that's awesome dude! " He opened his arms and embraced his best friend.  
"I'm really excited for you. I mean, you guys are basically married anyway but you'll make a beautiful Spring bride!" He teased. Alex laughed. "I do look good in white."  
Jack snorted a laugh. "C'mon let's get the fuck off this rock, I'll buy you a beer."  
"Deal."  
  
With a mischievous grin Alex took off. "And, there he goes." Jack gave a long suffering sigh watching him zip down the slope before leaning gently forward to start his own board sliding. He clenched his jaw as he began building speed, taking the turns as slow and wide as he could. Two thirds of the way down he'd completely lost sight of Alex at all and was barely sure he was on the same trail. But when a dark shadow swooped across his peripheral vision with a shout all Jack could think was 'Show off'. Until he felt himself surge forward as the lip of his board pulled behind him, sending him face first into the snow.  
The cold stung as it piled around his neck and shoulders, his hands throbbing from breaking his fall. He heard a crunching sound and then felt strong hands helping to pull him up. "Damn, dude you ok?"  
"You mean my face or my dignity?" He kept his eyes squeezed shut as he brushed off the snow.  
"Little bit of column A, a little bit of column B."  
"I'm ready to be done." He admitted as Alex undid the straps holding him to his board. "Probably not a bad idea. You're barely pretty enough to be in the band as it is, can't have you messing up your money maker." Alex shot him a lopsided smile.  
"I'll have you know your mom thinks I've got a winning personality." Jack grinned.  
"She says the same thing about my dogs." Alex replied. Jack grunted as he stood slinging the board under his arm.  
"Your dogs like me better too." Alex dropped his head back and laughed.

They made their way across the bottom of the hill, Jack trudging, Alex keeping pace sliding on his board next to him. Just before they reached the small wooden fence separating the park from the lodge path Jack watched as Alex suddenly windmilled his arms before going down on an icy patch. Jack laughed at the sight. "I don't think either of us are making the x-games." He stopped dead when Alex rolled onto his back groaning through gritted teeth.  
"Shit. Alex?" He dropped onto the ground next to him as he sat up, cradling his right arm across his lap. "S'ok, I just landed kinda hard." He closed his eyes taking a steadying breath.  
"Did you just break your arm." Jack stated more than asked. "No. I really, really hope I didn't."  
Jack quickly undid the bindings on Alex's board. "Can you move it?"  
He tested it opening and closing his fingers, then gently flexing his wrist. Mid movement his face paled. Jack caught the change instantly. "It doesn't really hurt, but that didn't feel, right?" Jack swallowed, deliberately not thinking of the possibility of broken bones protruding through skin.  
"Hey." Alex broke him from his thoughts. "If anyone gets to puke right now, it's me." He managed a faint grin. Jack nodded and breathed deeply stepping behind Alex. He placed his hands under his arms and helped him off the ground, not letting go until Alex stopped swaying.

4 hours, a disconcertingly quiet car ride and x-ray later Jack sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair in the small orthopedic waiting room. At some point his leg had begun bouncing without asking his brain if that was ok, while his fingers danced over his phone's keyboard. Reception in the mountains was spotty to begin with, but inside the small hospital it was even worse. He'd only just gotten enough signal to text Lisa. He'd intended just to let her know they'd be late, but before he knew it, the whole story was unraveling. He was grateful when the wooden office door whooshed open to Alex trudging out. The relief was short lived as he noted the bulky cast beginning just below his elbow and ending at his knuckles.  
Jack stood. "So, what's the verdict?"  
"Closed, non-displaced ulna fracture." Alex recited holding the cast up as if it weren't obvious. Jack considered the report for a moment before lightening. "Well that's not the worst it could be."  
"Nah, I guess not, still six weeks with this thing though." Alex looked dejectedly at his new appendage.  
"Can I sign it?" Jack almost bounced. "What? No." Alex actually came close to laughing.  
"C'mon I've never gotten to, I never knew anyone that broke their arm before." "No. Go away."  
Jack laughed "What's next?"  
"Stop at the pharmacy, apparently they're giving me the GOOD pills" Alex raised his eyebrows for effect "and then we find the exit and get the hell outta here."  
  
It took several wrong turns through the identical halls before they arrived at the counter of a small pharmacy.  
The pharmacist, a slight, older man took the prescription slip and slid the small white bag over the counter without much interest. "Be sure to follow the directions and take that with food." he rasped. "Thanks." Alex replied, but by then the man had turned away. They shared a look and continued to wander towards, what they hoped was the check-out desk.  
"You really gonna take those? I dunno if I trust the Crypt Keeper back there." Jack gestured to the bag. This time Alex did laugh. "Yes and no you can't have any."  
"You are SUCH an only child." Jack teased as an older woman in scrubs decorated with multicolored cupcakes, handed Alex a clip board. "This is gonna be great." He groaned as he struggled to sign the papers with his left hand.  
Jack stared at the cast and finally made up his mind. "Hey um, are we gonna talk about it?" He asked.  
Alex glanced down and then at his friend. "No."  
"You don't think we should?"  
"What's there to talk about, Jack? It's done."  
Jack sighed. "Yea but I mean, your cast is hot pink!"

**Author's Note:**

> So I started with his last "little known fact" and I actually got kind of far before I realized that I'd bored myself to death writing it. It's very difficult to make an interesting story about someone being able to cook, just FYI


End file.
